Botched DNA Test Made Him Miss|His Son’s Childhood, Dad Says

EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. (CN) – National Legal Laboratories botched a paternity test, which made a man miss 11 years with his child, the dad claims in Madison County Court.

Gerald Spiller says the lab’s Oct. 6, 1997 report stated that he was not the father of a child and that as a result, that paternity case was dismissed and he had no further contact with the child. But Spiller says that through “additional genetic testing,” he found out that he was the father on Feb. 28 this year. Spiller claims National Legal Laboratories failed to seal containers to prevent contamination; failed to identify his specimen and failed to accurately conduct a DNA test. Spiller says he lost the companionship, love and ability to provide guidance and protection to his child for 11 years because of the lab’s negligence. He seeks more than $50,000 in damages and is represented by Randall Steele of Glen Carbon.